


Hug Therapy

by Demial



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Asexual Character, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Hugs, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-10-30 12:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10876707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demial/pseuds/Demial
Summary: Reader has an issue with putting themselves down on the regular, and Zenyatta takes an unusually fluffy approach to helping.My friend,poutypanic, did the proofreading!





	1. Chapter 1

You struggled with self-doubt, and the omnic monk, Zenyatta, specialized in helping people with that. It was no surprise that you ended up spending time with him on a regular basis. None of the other agents said anything about it. However, you convinced yourself that they were judging you behind your back, even if it wasn't true. This was one of the big reasons you were seeing Zenyatta in the first place.

After a few failed attempts with different methods, Zenyatta settled on what he dubbed Hug Therapy. It was simply this. Every time you put yourself down, every time the nasty little voice in your head whispered something untrue to you, and every time you put an imaginary obstacle in your own way, you had to seek him out on the watchpoint and give him a hug. It was awkward at first, and it took some gentle prodding and scolding on Zenyatta's part when you didn't listen at first. But he would not give up.

Eventually, you decided to stick near him for a large chunk of each of your days. It was time-consuming to find him every time you recognized some unhealthy thoughts. It happened a lot, you realized. At first, that was upsetting, but more hugs were the cure for that. As a result of all the time you spent with Zenyatta, the other agents started playfully suggesting that you were his new student. You didn't mind. You were slowly rebuilding your self-esteem, and these harmless comments rolled off your back.

One day, Zenyatta had to leave the watchpoint for a period of time. At first, you were horrified, and anticipated feeling lost, but he just laughed and reminded you of all the progress you had made. It was true.

"Maybe I'm being a little dramatic," you admitted.

"You do need to have more faith in yourself. Nevertheless, you must not slack off while I am away. I do not want you to regress. Even a little."

That confused you. How were you supposed to continue while he was not around to hug?

"My student?"

Genji appeared next to Zenyatta. You inwardly panicked.

"He may not look it, but he is experienced in this. I used a crude form of Hug Therapy as part of our work on his acceptance of his body, as well."

While Genji's hugs were a suitable substitute for Zenyatta's for your therapy, you missed the monk. You always thought you felt a gentle vibration from his body when in contact with yours, not knowing whether it was because you imagined it or if it was from the way his body worked. Either way, you found it soothing, and Genji's hugs lacked that. It wasn't that you disliked hugging Genji. In fact, you felt a growing warmth towards him from inside your chest. Each time you held each other, it felt more intimate, to the point where you felt a little flustered each time. But still, you thought often about when Zenyatta would return. Again, not because you preferred Zenyatta's hugs more than Genji's, but you found yourself going to him less and less as the days went by. You hardly had a negative thought about yourself. You noticed this, and you felt elated and free.

A few days later, Genji surprised you by seeking you out and initiating a hug of his own. He thanked you and explained that he was having a bad day. It was a surprise to you that he could be struggling with his own issues internally. The way he carried himself always suggested the opposite. Of course, you were more than happy to offer more comfort whenever he needed it. While you felt sympathy for Genji, you were always secretly pleased when he sought you out and secretly worried each hug would be the last.

You and Genji happened to be together when Zenyatta returned, so you both went to welcome him back. You immediately went in for an embrace.

You didn't actually need this hug for the usual reasons, but you missed this. You felt at home in Zenyatta's arms. You felt comfortable and like you could be yourself like with no one else. You couldn't wait to tell him all about the progress you had made since he had been away, and all about other things, too. You didn't pull away from the embrace, but neither did he.

"Do not stand there looking awkward, Genji," Zenyatta said.

You felt Genji's arms close around both of you, and he slotted the face of his helmet against your neck. Instead of feeling forced and awkward, it felt surprisingly natural, and you freed up an arm to pull Genji closer. It was in that moment you realized.

Uh, oh. You were in love with both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

The hug ended as naturally as it started, and the depth of your feelings settled heavily over your heart. You felt lost, despite standing closely adjacent to two people you wanted nothing more than to love and appreciate.

Genji and Zenyatta chatted casually about his recent trip. You weren't directly involved in the conversation, so you felt like you could run away. Already, you'd accepted the idea that your feelings would never be returned. It was already asking too much that one of them look at you the same way you looked at them. What hope did you have for both of them? The ache that made its home in your chest was now dragging down your entire mood, and it was showing on your face. It was time to escape, because Zenyatta would no doubt ask you about it.

One of them grabbed your hand when you turned to go. You had to turn back to check who it was. Being that they both had mechanical hands, it was difficult to tell who it was. It was Genji.

"Winston wanted me to tell you that we have a mission. All three of us," he said, sounding jovial under his mask, "He wants us at the helipad tomorrow morning at seven."

"I look forward to working with both of you," Zenyatta said warmly.

You nodded at them and left. The impending mission promised you a welcome distraction. You went to the communal locker room where everyone had their gear stored. You checked over your own. You had a small sidearm, yes, but your job was not to be deadly like Genji. Even Zenyatta was more formidable on the battlefield than you.

You had a translocator attached to your wristguard. It had a mechanism that you could use to fire the translocator at a wall or a ledge, and it would stick. Once teleported, special climbing gloves allowed you to hang on to said wall or ledge. The purpose of this was to allow you to move about the battlefield relatively undetected with supplies, like extra ammo or medicine. Winston promised you that one day you'd be able to translocate an extra person, and you would be a bigger help in rescue operations. You considered yourself a much better version of that two-faced Sombra.

Genji and Zenyatta sat on either side of you on the ride over to the mission site. You suspected that you were hiding your feelings poorly, because he lent you an Orb of Harmony. Its presence put a damper on your heartache.

During the mission itself, Zenyatta continued to grace you with his Harmony Orb whenever you came and went, bringing the front lines their much-needed supplies. It helped you focus, and things were going well, until Genji found you on a rooftop. He landed on the asphalt and fell to one knee, clutching his side with one arm.

"I need Mercy," he said as soon as he saw you.

You moved to the edge of the roof, allowing her to Guardian Angel towards you.

"Angela, I think I am bleeding," he informed her. His was voice was strained from pain.

"Sit down. Let's see."

Genji sat cross-legged, and she went to work removing a piece of his armour on his torso to get a better look. You settled on the other side of him. You had enough medical training that you could help if required. She probably didn't need you, but you didn't want to leave Genji's side. You were worried. Thankfully, you were not shooed away.

Genji seemed distressed. Perhaps he wasn't used to having his armour off and his bare skin exposed and vulnerable. Mercy confirmed that his wound was not bad; it just looked like it. Her healing staff would take care of it. They just had to wait. Still, Genji shifted a bit and exhaled shakily. It was too much to just watch him be in obvious discomfort, so you took Genji's hand and held tight. His fingers closed around yours in kind.

"Angela...!"

"I'm almost done, you big metal baby. But you'll still have to retreat. No more fighting for you today."

"Yes, Doctor."

Genji seemed relieved to be told that. When she finished, you knew it was time for you to return to the back of the group to await instructions. You helped Genji stand up and reluctantly let go of his hand, letting your fingers brush against the inside of his wrist.

"Thank you."

You nodded and used your translocator to retreat.

You found Zenyatta hovering at the back of the group. It was quiet enough that you could occupy his attention momentarily with a hug. You needed it. His gentle vibration gave you something comforting to focus on, and your body started to relax. You were thinking that perhaps you'd lingered in his hold for too long, when someone came up behind you to join in. A familiar pair of chest plates pressed against your back.

"My two favourite people," Genji whispered, "Well, _two of them, Angela,_ " he added loudly.

"Flattery isn't going to get you out of your post-mission exam, Genji!"

Genji made a small noise of protest that only you and Zenyatta could hear, but you were already trying to wriggle your way out from between them. You love being sandwiched between them, but knowing they weren't feeling the same was too much. You were about to cry. They parted from you, with a soft apology from Genji.

"What is wrong, my friend?" 

You were dreading this question. You looked at Zenyatta. You really looked. You couldn't lie to a person such as him, and after he had given you so much help, too. You purposefully looked between them, avoiding looking at either of their faces.

"I'm in love with you," you blurted, quietly, to avoid being overheard by your colleagues, "Both...of you."

They both made a noise of confusion and inquiry. Your admission was a weight lifted from your shoulders, but you anticipated some awkward silence.

"It's not the appropriate time and place to say such things, I know..."

"Perhaps, but that is not why we are surprised."

Your head snapped up to give your full attention to Zenyatta.

"Huh?"

"Yes. This is good news."

"Agreed," Genji laughed, "We were worried one of us would leave this conversation hurt."

"What do you mean?!"

Genji brought his hand up to rest on his shoulder in a kind of awkward shrug.

"Why do you think I came to you instead of Angela first...?"

Zenyatta placed his hand on your shoulder, and you automatically put yours on top.

"Why do you think I kept giving you one of my orbs? I noticed your distress and was so worried, but I was trying to wait until you came forward yourself first."

"Oh, um."

"We both return your feelings," Genji said more seriously.

You'd never been more pleasantly surprised in your life. You wanted to express this, but every time you opened your mouth, you couldn't think of what to say. Zenyatta's hand traveled down your arm to rest on your lower back. You leaned into him, with an arm around his shoulders, seeking solace from the overwhelming emotions you'd been going through today. Genji took your hand, and you wiggled your fingers through his, entwining them.

Someone nearby started applauding, and you thought you heard Tracer sigh happily.

"So cute," exclaimed Mei.

"You done?" asked McCree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My [tumblr](https://demialwrites.tumblr.com/) has my fics on it, plus some shorter stuff I don't post on here.


	3. Flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I needed to write some fluff, and because good partners start out as good friends.

"I don't know you that well," you explained, picking at the pattern in the fabric of the sofa.

"So? We are getting to know each other right now."

"Yes, but it makes me nervous. Not knowing you that well. That's why I'm so quiet all the time."

"I see. Well, how's this..."

When his sentence trailed off, you curiously glanced at him. You recoiled in shock and a little in horror. He had floated off the ground just enough to turn his body to you, and then settled back onto the sofa cushion. The shiny, grey face plate had slid forward. The yellow part you assumed was a representation of a mouth had stayed in place, and the wide, screw-like objects behind his 'cheeks' stuck out on either side. His arms were bent at the elbows outward, and his hands rested on his knees. His position was one of complete openness to you.

"I cannot see when I'm like this," he admitted, chuckling.

Your eyes greedily took in what you saw: interlocking layers of metal, the same colour of Genji's synthetic skin. Maybe you stared a little rudely while you knew he couldn't see, but he did offer this rare sight.

What you learned wasn't what you thought it would be. Seeing the parts behind his faceplate didn't tell anything you wanted to know about Zenyatta. You already knew what you wanted to know about Zenyatta. He was a good person, and a good friend to you. Asking him to further strip down to show you the inside of his physical body would be unnecessary and perhaps disrespectful. The realization was a gentle blast of air of from walking into an air-conditioned building; it was a relief.

You wondered how many people, up until this point in time, have learned this lesson as he pushed his face back into position with a quiet click. When you thought he could see you again, you smiled, mentally settling in to your new role as one of the monk's many friends.

"Zenyatta?"

"Hm?"

"Do omnics like hugs?"


	4. Did You Just...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might as well make this into something similar to [Take Me Home](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10160390/chapters/22566302), something that devolved into random fluff chapters. Because I'm sure a lot of you would like some fluff!

It was workout time. You took your mat and found a side room, a comfortable one with a view of the Strait of Gibraltar. You preferred this to the busy gym on the watchpoint. It was relaxing and good for your state of mind. Once you got into the groove, and the music was loud enough, you didn't notice Genji and Zenyatta had found you. They settled on a nearby sofa to watch you do your thing. Zenyatta sat impossibly still, the large baubles on his belt begging for someone to fiddle with them. Genji sat cross-legged, the tiny green knobs on the bottom of his soles poking indents into the backs of his thighs.

Genji leaned on his cybernetic hand, his elbow resting on the armrest. Contented, his eyelids rested just above his irises.

"Master, look at them. We are so lucky. The angle of their body here, and the curve there. Is it not just pleasing to the eye?"

Without looking away from you, Zenyatta replied, humourlessly,

"Did you ever consider that are you are biologically programmed to find certain shapes of bodies attractive?"

Genji let his hand drop down from his helm, and it slapped against his thigh.

"Did you just...Did you just use the word 'program' to refer to a human trait, my _omnic_ Master?"

"Do not sass me, Genji."

"You sassed me first!"

Zenyatta leaned two inches towards Genji.

"You sassed me first...what...?"

Genji spluttered in disbelief, and his hands clenched in his lap. He slowly turned his head to Zenyatta, and then frowned behind his mask. The monk was already staring at him expectantly. Genji groaned.

"You sassed me first... _Master_."

Zenyatta didn't see need to see behind Genji's mask to see his face to know what was coming next and beat him to it.

"Before you ask rhetorically, yes, I am happy now."

Genji merely shook his head, smiled, and let the matter drop. He knew his master was only playing.

You finished your workout, and then turned over to lie on your back on the mat. You closed your eyes and relaxed into the endorphin high from the exercise. You must have been lying there for longer than you thought, because the soft sound of wind chimes alerted you and caused you to open your eyes and sit up. It wasn't wind chimes; the sounds were coming from your monk boyfriend's orbs. Did you look just that peaceful lying there that he wanted to meditate? It made me you smile. Genji, likewise, looked like he had drifted off into a nap. He was curled up against the sofa armrest.

If you were honest with yourself, you had been too nervous to ask Zenyatta about how his orbs worked. How could he heal? And the discord orb...? Scary. You'd never had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of that, even during training skirmishes with other agents. You got onto all fours as quietly as you could and crawled towards the sofa. Once close enough, you placed a cupped hand, palm-up underneath one of the bouncing orbs, intending to catch it on the way down.

A hand grabbed yours, startling you. But it wasn't Zenyatta, it was Genji. He motioned for you to be quiet and to follow him out of the room. He kept a hold of your hand, helping you stand up. When you did, he quickly bent down to slip his arms under your butt and lifted. You gasped but otherwise kept quiet. He stood still to rub your stomach with the front of his helm and then carried you out of the room.

When he put you down in the hallway, you stared at him like you were ready to chide.

"Did that hurt you," he asked, gesturing to his stomach where the circular vents poked out.

"No."

Before you could ask him what was going on, gathered you into a hug.

"I'm sneaking some time alone with you to get back at my master," he admitted, sounding very pleased with himself.


	5. Ball's In My Court

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These next few are gonna be short. Feels refreshing to write short things sometimes.

A strange thing happened to you when on the last mission.

You were working alongside your omnic boyfriend, extremely delighted to be by his side, making a difference. You weren't yet able to teleport more than yourself, sadly, so you could only help so much with rescue efforts. Your heart swelled with pride when you saw Zenyatta guiding a helpless child back to the main group, keeping back any would-be attackers. It was times like this that reminded you of his awesome strength on and off the battlefield. You observed them from the closest rooftop, high in the air, your and Genji's favourite type of place to be.

It was going well, until the child tripped to the ground and scraped their knee. You leaned closer to the edge, now emotionally invested in what was happening and, therefore, worried. They cried with heart-wrenching sobs until Zenyatta gave them an orb of Harmony to hold, soothing their physical pain and distracting them from the danger around the pair. They were still out in the open and vulnerable, of course.

You thought that would solve things, but the child refused to move forward towards safety. Their leg must hurt that much. They whined a loud "No," and clung to the frayed fabric of the monk's yellow pants. You continued to watch, wondering how this would play out and also wondering why no one had radioed you for assistance for the past fifteen minutes.

You mentally shrugged. Sometimes they didn't need you.

A curious thing happened next. Curious and sickeningly sweet. Zenyatta dipped down towards the ground and crossed his ankles. The child climbed into his lap, clumsy and unsure in their movements. You watched Zenyatta float away to safety, the child tucked in his lap. This was curious, because you realized you were actually jealous. Why hadn't _your own boyfriend_ ever offered you lap rides?!

You had intended to pout at him for the entire way back to Gibraltar, but as soon as he made an innocent, unrelated comment, you caved and admitted your silly feelings.

Genji was waiting on the helipad as the Orca landed. He wasn't here, waiting for his master. He knew his master could hold his own against most things thrown at him. No, he was waiting to make sure nothing happened to you. He surprised when he saw you curled up, content, in Zenyatta's lap, floating down the loading ramp.

"I believe this counts as a point in my favour, my pupil," Zenyatta boasted as you two glided past towards the door.

Genji clenched his fists, planning his next move.


	6. First Date

You're standing in Genji's room, blindfolded. You thought you trusted him (which is why you let yourself get into this situation), but then you started to doubt that trust a teeny bit when he started to pull off your shirt. He went about removing your clothing in the least intrusive way he could, or it felt like it. His fingers rarely touched your body, only skimming your skin here and there. It had the downside of making you twitch around, feeling ticklish.

He replaced your clothing with what felt like some kind of weird bedsheet. He wound it around you just so, fussing, which started the tickling anew. You couldn't help but grumble a little.

"Genji, I'm tired after training."

"It won't be long. Please, be still," he said, tying something around your waist.

"...and hungry."

He pulled tight, squeezing some air out of your lungs with a quiet 'oof'.

"I see."

And then silence, because he was presumably finished dressing you.

"'I see'? What does that mean?"

Instead of answering, he picked you up, and you lost your balance and fell forward over something hard and roundish. You think it might be his shoulder.

"Oh, my god, Genji!"

"I have you," he said.

You had the sensation of being carried forward. It was silly, but it frightened you like a helpless animal because you didn't know where you were going. And what if someone saw you being hauled around like this?! You clutched at his back as best you could, whispering, "Oh, my god," again.

"Stop saying that," he said, and you heard the amusement dancing in his voice, "You're fine."

"Maybe if I could see!"

"That would ruin everything. And we are almost there."

You tried to hang on to his back again, and this time your fingers found cloth. More of the stiff fabric you were wearing. Just what was going on, here?! Genji never wore clothes that you knew.

"I could not help but notice that we have never been on a date."

Hearing that made some of your nervousness turn into excitement. You couldn't think of what a man like Genji could come up with for a first date, though.

You finally arrived at your destination, and Genji put you down and pushed you gently downward into a kneeling position. He took the blindfold from your eyes. Looking around, you first spotted the table in front of you. It was short. That explained why were you were kneeling and not sitting on a chair. You inspected the table, confused, because you'd never seen one so short at the watchpoint before.

"Did you... _wow_...did you cut the table legs?!"

"I might have."

You looked down at yourself, pulling the fabric taut to get a better look. It was dark blue with a white pattern. The belt was also a light colour.

"It's a yukata."

Genji's had a simple white and grey pattern. You were surprised, expecting something more showy. It did make the bright green of his visor stand out in contrast, you had to admit. Impatient, Genji gestured towards the tabletop.

Sitting next to a pair of disposable, wooden chopsticks was a bowl of instant noodles. It looked like the chicken flavour.

You couldn't help laughing at the juxtaposition of your clothing and the effort put in getting you here, and then being served a simple bowl of dollar instant noodles.

He watched your laughter die down to uncontrollable giggling.

"I hope this means you like it?"

You calmed yourself and forced yourself to sit up straight and appear more serious.

"Yes...okay, okay," you said, catching your breath, "I love it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based the description of Genji's clothing off the robe-like thing you find in Genji's room in the Nepal map. It's probably a haori, but within the context of this fic, I changed it.


	7. First Fight

Genji sat in his usual meditation spot. He wasn't meditating this time; he was trying to accept and get past the prickly feeling of knowing he acted the fool in front of someone he cared about.

The words you scolded him with echoed in his mind and needled at his ego. He took a couple of deliberate breaths. It was just another lesson to learn, after learning so many, he told himself.

That didn't help. He sighed, his hands braced mid-thigh.

He was most embarrassed that he had to learn this lesson at 35. Again. He had been too excited about having a partner for the first time in years and feeling protective, and his mind wouldn't rest. During the last mission, he should have been able to focus like always, but a little bit of persistent anxiety broke through his resolve. 

He wished you had better skills to defend yourself.

Widowmaker had been present. Due to your tendency to seek higher ground, he worried you weren't spending enough time behind cover. He suggested you adjust your strategy. At least, it sounded like a suggestion to him; you refused the advice, sounding offended.

You claimed you didn't need his advice before now. Which was true, he supposed. You'd done your job under the threat of sniper shots before. He wasn't sure if he was right or if you were. Either way, he couldn't help using his sneakiness to find you and check on you. Repeatedly, to the point where others noticed. The enemy noticed. A stray shot to the back, nothing serious, sent him to the med bay at the watchpoint. It kind of snowballed from there...

Genji clenched his fingers around his thighs.

It was bad enough being reprimanded by his superior for being careless, but you got upset at him. Claimed he wasn't considering how you'd feel if he was severely injured or worse. You stormed away with Zenyatta trailing behind you.

Damnit, it was true. He tried to do too many things at once and couldn't see past there and then. He felt so guilty.

You woke up to Zenyatta meditating next to your bed. It was such a comfort to know that you could rely on him to be there for you (outside of missions, of course). It was almost like you would never be alone during the rough times; his and Genji's presence kept you grounded and kept you from slipping down into your old habits. You slid off the bed and leaned down to press a kiss to his face plate.

"I know you can't feel that, but I don't care," you told him, smiling.

"And you know I appreciate the gesture," he replied, taking your hand, which was an invitation to sit in his lap. You took it, because you were still feeling groggy after your nap. You placed your hand on his chest and used it as a sort of cushion against the metal for your forehead.

"I want to apologize."

"What? Why?"

"If I had not been so caught up in the little contest with Genji, I might have seen him spiraling. It was only a little out of hand, but the consequences clearly scared you."

"No one's perfect," you said, shaking your head against your hand.

"Still, perhaps I should have mentioned-"

"Don't fight with him," you warned, sitting up and cutting Zenyatta off.

"We don't...fight," he said, sounding confused that he even had to say the word aloud, let alone apply the word to his student-teacher relationship with Genji.

"Yeah, you do. You two bicker all the time. Don't argue with me about it."

"Genji told me it was harmless. Was he mistaken?"

"Just don't take it too far."

"Ahh."

Zenyatta watched you play with his belt and tug on the tassel below the large beads. He suspected the fussing was you comforting yourself.

"In truth, are you worried that you were too hard on him?"

Your head snapped up, surprise written on your face.

"Oh? Yeah. I guess so," you answered, returning your attention to his belt.

Zenyatta waited to see if you had more on your mind.

"I don't want any more fighting."


	8. Trouble with Family 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd been feeling down for a little bit, so I extra appreciated [poutypanic](http://archiveofourown.org/users/poutypanic/pseuds/poutypanic) proofreading these next three chapters. I mean, maybe she wouldn't say no (and I wouldn't say no to her either!), but it was extra appreciated nonetheless.

When you finally admitted to your parents that you were dating two of your fellow agents, things got a little weird. The endless questions flustered you, until your mother had the 'genius' idea to insist to you come to the next family reunion. With your boyfriends in tow. Your father agreed, and you couldn't say no.

You hid your face in Zenyatta's pants, freaking out. Genji rubbed your back; he understood what it was like to have trouble with your family. They agreed to support you in any way they could. They even offered to attempt to look more normal, by wearing a full set of clothes.

The day finally came, and you were feeling pretty good about going with your two supports. Zenyatta put on a flowing robe that was very fitting for his status as a monk. He helped you procure Genji's yukata from his room, but when you approached him with it, he didn't even look at it and refused.

"Genji, please! You promised me!"

He walked away and into the next room. You walked after him.

"I did not. I agreed with you. That is different than promising."

When you went through the door, he wasn't anywhere in the room when you had clearly seen him enter. You felt your shoulders tensing up.

"Don't split hairs with me, you ridiculous ninja," you said loudly, assuming he could still hear you.

"I don't know what that means. Why would I cut hair with you? My English fails me." 

His voice was coming from the opposite direction, from the room you came from.

"Ugh! Just...do this one thing! It's for a day."

"I do not wear clothes," he stated.

You were annoyed but not ready to give up. You hurried back to the previous room.

"Genji...!"

"I thought you accepted me for what I am."

You stopped in the doorway and rolled your eyes.

"I do, and you're being dramatic, thirty-five year old man."

"I am...a nudist," he offered. He sounded like he was running out of arguments.

Before you could even search the first room, his voice came from another direction again. You glared around at the empty air.

"I don't understand! You 'know yourself in the face of death' blah, blah, blah...and yet you're freaking out over wearing some of your clothes for a day. Your own damned clothes."

"Mine? ...You went in my room?"

"With my permission, my pupil," Zenyatta said.

"I see," said a quiet voice behind you.

You jumped and turned around.

"Genji! Don't do that!"

He hung his head and muttered an apology. Then he held out his hand. You assumed he was reaching to take the yukata, which you were holding, from your hands and gave it to him.

"I will wear it," he conceded.

He turned and then stopped.

"You forgot the _juban_."

You made an angry noise. He was still giving you a hard time, and you could tell by his tone.

"I don't even know what that means," you yelled.

He chuckled quietly and left. You watched him leave to put on the clothing, your eyebrows drawn together. After a few moments of thought, you turned to Zenyatta.

"Normally, he's a bit of a brat — well, both of you are — but what's with him today?"

"I do not have the same emotional baggage as my student," he said, his hands making gentle, smooth gestures, "So when someone important to me wants me to do something important to them, I will have no trouble doing it."

He said it like it was plain fact. When Zenyatta says something like that, he means it. You sighed and smiled, your body sagging with relief after Genji had wound you up.

"At least you have someone to rely on, right," Genji said dryly as he walked past, fully clothed. What he said smacked of self-deprecation to you.

"Stop," you commanded.

You grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into a hug.

"No one was thinking that, okay?"


	9. Trouble with Family 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family reunion time!

You took a deep breath and one last look at Genji and Zenyatta before pushing open the door. Much to your dismay, _everyone_ was there, not just your parents. They also all stopped what they were doing when they saw you three. A heavy rock formed in your stomach, and you were ready to shrink away like a terrified little animal. Zenyatta was not intimidated, however.

He let his legs drop to the ground and stood to his full height. Taller than you were expecting. His orbs slowed to a crawl and closely circled his neck. He tucked one arm behind him and waved with the other, introducing himself. He did it as if it was something he did every day.

"That's almost... unsettling," you said, eyeing Zenyatta's tall form.

Genji poked your side, and you grabbed his hand to prevent him from doing it again.

"What?! I have _never_ seen him do that."

"He is doing it to seem less threatening to your family," he scolded you.

"You're right. I'm being a jerk."

"Do not," Genji scolded again, shifting his hand in your grip to hold yours.

He was referring to you calling yourself a jerk. Such things were not tolerated in your weird little relationship. You thanked him for the reminder with a small smile and turned to view the rest of the room. There were so many people. It was overwhelming. To make things worse, a lot of them were staring or trying to hide glances at you and Genji. You couldn't blame them; including Zenyatta, you were an odd group. Zenyatta's absence from your side was sorely felt; he was already off conversing with a small circle of your cousins. 

"C'mon," you said, tugging on Genji's hand, "Let's go look at the food. There has to be some here somewhere."

Genji was not ready to take off his mask yet in front of the crowd, so you ended up being the only one eating. While you stuffed snacks in your mouth, a growing gaggle of children kidnapped your cyborg boyfriend, tugging on his clothing and asking questions about his weapons. Across the room, Zenyatta was getting into a debate over something you couldn't hear. All you could see was the passion on everyone's faces as they conversed.

You were relieved that those two were being accepted by your family, but you were also now alone. You felt like a lone swimmer in an ocean with a shark creeping up on you. Any minute now, you could be jumped by-

"Honey!" 

And there it was, your mother's voice. You spied someone's forgotten, half-full drink and snatched it up. You turned around to face your mother and held the glass between you, like a poor shield.

"Hi, Mom."

You sipped the drink, and your eyes almost rolled back in their sockets in happiness. Ah, yes. It had alcohol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one has a bit of angst, BUT HEAR ME OUT. I thought it was a good story for this trio. :X That's all I got.


	10. Trouble with Family 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We find out why Genji was upset in part 1.

Eventually, you were able to excuse yourself from your mother's presence. You found Genji alone by the food; the kids were gone.

"What's wrong? The parents see your shurikens and get nervous?"

It was a light-hearted question, but it received not so light-hearted response. Genji stepped to just behind your shoulder, wrapped his arms around your waist, and rested his chin on you. His mask was off, and his breath was strong; apparently, you were not the only one drinking tonight.

"Did you drink too much?"

He sighed instead of answering. His silence made you want to prod for an answer more.

"Genji? What's up?"

"It's the anniversary of my father's death, you know?"

He said the sentence so quickly that you had trouble processing before he spoke again.

"It's a week after the anniversary of my mother's."

It was suddenly clear why he should not have been drinking in the first place. Certain consonants were disappearing from his words, and his accent deepened.

"You were hoping it would help, didn't you?"

"All it did was make it impossible to ignore that things are not the way they should be."

Oh, dear. That sounded like the tip of an iceberg of issues. He continued to speak without stopping for a response from you. The drinks must have been affecting his ability to explain himself, because he spoke almost in free form. You had to piece things together as he went.

"They never were. I always knew something was different about my childhood. Compared to the other kids...we were homeschooled, but I still found other kids my age. The first time I realized things were different for us, Hanzo and me, I asked my father. I don't remember his answer, but it did not sit right with me. And whenever I compare our time spent growing up to other people, it does not feel right. It just reminds me that something is missing. I have grieved that loss...the normal childhood I would never get. But it never goes away, does it? The missing part. That hole. Sometimes I feel it, and it is so hard..."

You were waiting patiently for him to finish, but at the same time, you wanted him to finish soon. So you could pull him into one of those really tight hugs. The kind that squishes his armour into the soft fleshy parts of his body underneath. It never failed to make him smile. He was still upset and talking, though, so you rested your arms on his, listening to his voice. You were able to catch the distortion of voice more clearly being so close. The antenna on the side of his helmet pressed into your ear, cold.

"So now...I finally have the opportunity to make things right between us. And I have to do it like this?"

He stepped away and made short, frustrated gestures at himself before continuing. Your arms fell to their sides, and you turned around to face him.

"I can't help it...every time he looks at me, I can't help but think he is looking at me with disgust behind his eyes. He would never admit it, so I won't ever know for sure. There is that distance between us, and that is on top of the years we spent apart. He says he does not know me, but who is he? Hm? Zenyatta tells me that..."

You blinked dumbly at him, surprised at what was spilling out of his mouth. Thankfully, he didn't notice your surprise.

"Well, he said I am doing this to myself. What's worse...is that he is right. He is always right! Sometimes I don't need that. But I try anyway. When I approach Hanzo, I pretend. The truth is, I feel so exposed, and...if he says the wrong word, it hurts so much. He may not mean to hurt me, but I think about it for days. I can tell my master about it, but it still hurts. It lingers. Maybe I need..."

You didn't know what could be bothering him so much that he couldn't look you in the eye. His throat guard bobbed when he swallowed. He didn't move, so you didn't either. You waited for him to continue, to ask for what he needed from you, or for any kind of hint of what to do.

"I didn't want you to see me like this. One of my bad days. I didn't want you to see the doubts that plague me."

He gripped your arms firmly, your bodies squared, as if he was afraid you'd bolt. His eyes bored into yours.

"Maybe I need you."

You had to raise your eyebrows at that.

"Okay, first of all," you paused, smiling wide, "I can't believe you're worried about how _I_ see you."

His cheeks dimpled with the tiniest smile.

"Second, where am I going? Just because you have issues, I'm gonna leave? Why?"

"I don't know," he admitted sheepishly, his smile growing to mirror yours.

"Let's go find your master. He'll probably say, 'I told you so.'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay. I promised you dudes fluff. But I haven't actually given Genji any deep issues ever. I always wanted to. Next chapter will have more Zen and more fluff, I promise. He's a [good bean](http://nalintant.tumblr.com/post/163353004587/pocket-healer-zenbean-is-really-squishy).


	11. Cool as a Cucumber

You have your relapses. All people do. When it seemed like everything was wrong, and that you were reminded of every other time it felt this way. In a state like that, all you remembered were a string of times when thing were oppressive and overwhelming. When you got enough courage to tell Zenyatta about it yesterday, he listened and held you. His words afterwards seemed like the exact thing you needed to hear.

"There is another side. You just need to wait."

It turned your bitter, frustrated tears into the cathartic kind.

Today you lay on the grass, under a tree, outside the watchpoint on a sunny day. You watched Zenyatta meditate a hundred feet away. Just watching him was relaxing, and you were getting sleepy in the lazy afternoon.

Zenyatta preferred to meditate in the sun, as he was doing so now. You did not. In fact, you didn't meditate at all. You always ended up inside your own head, and it was a downward spiral from there. Genji didn't meditate as often as his master did, so he joined you on the grass.

"You know. I've been thinking," you said, after a few minutes, "Zenyatta does so much for us. He's always there for us. He's taken us in. Like strays."

"I take offence to that last part," Genji said, deadpan.

"Stop it," you scolded, "I mean it. What if we did something for him this time?"

"Alright. Did you have something in mind?"

"Sometimes, two of us go on a mission, and one is left behind. What if we got a pet to keep that lone person company?"

"I like this idea, but what would we get?"

"Would he like a fish? He could meditate on it."

"Hmmm. I'm not sure-"

"Wait, look!"

You sat up suddenly, then got to your feet. You pointed in Zenyatta's direction.

The both of you hid behind the tree, even though there was no need. A head poked out on either side, watching. A scruffy-looking orange and white cat approached the statue-still monk with its tail straight and tall. It opened its mouth.

Zenyatta fluidly extended his arm, offering his hand. The cat rubbed its face against Zenyatta's hand, then its body, and then flopped on the ground. Zenyatta held his hand patiently while the cat did this several times, flopping happily onto the ground over and over. 

You and Genji stood up straight in more normal positions.

"Apparently, we were presumptuous."

Genji sounded wry, but you couldn't help the bubbling excitement overtaking you. You grabbed his hand and shook his arm violently.

"Think we can pet it?!" 

You practically danced in place at the thought. Genji started to answer you, but you already turned to leave, doing your best not to race down to Zenyatta in case it spooked the cat.


	12. Big, Metal Babies

It's a regular thing now. The cat joins Zenyatta each afternoon for meditation in his lap. Shortly after, you began to weasel your way in between the cat and Zenyatta, unable to resist the temptation of cats and laps. Genji curiously decided he needed to meditate more and sat to next to the three of you. But not because he felt left out. Oh, no.

"Boy!"

A loud, cranky shout interrupted the warm serenity of the afternoon. You sat up from Zenyatta's lap. The cat stood, then arched its back, irritated. Genji's head was ducked so low, it was almost in his lap. Torbjorn was trying to loom over him, waving his mechanical arm in a scolding fashion.

"I'm not a boy," Genji muttered.

"Then _behave_ and come get your cleaning done."

"Cleaning?" You frowned, confused.

Genji got to his feet. Torbjorn wrapped the clamp on the end of his arm around Genji's forearm. He walked towards the watchpoint, tugging Genji along, with the cyborg bent over to compensate for the height difference. Zenyatta lifted off the ground into a hovering position to follow. The cat bolted.

That's the short of how you and the monk ended up seated on tall chairs on either side of Genji's body. 'Body.' Genji's torso rested between you on a dark grey exam table. His armor, parts of his helm, and the rest of his body was in pieces on the surrounding tables. Torbjorn was inspecting, and cleaning, each part. Every so often, he complained under his breath about replacing a part. Genji himself had been sedated at the start, requesting that the two of you stay just before he went under.

Curiousity was building like pressure inside an active volcano. Your eyes wandered Genji's body, doing your best to just look and not touch. Your gaze stopped on Genji's face. Wrinkles had collected between his brows. You smoothed them with your thumb, and his face relaxed. 

"You're next!" Announced Torbjorn while walking past Zenyatta.

He drooped in a similar fashion to Genji, his orbs almost dropping to the ground. You couldn't help barking ugly laughter.

"Hey, wait a minute," you said, thoughtfully, "Aren't you a wandering monk? Why don't you 'wander off' to avoid this?"

Zenyatta straightened his posture, and his orbs came back up. It wasn't a serious suggestion, but on second thought, you wanted to know the answer.

"Why _don't_ you leave, come to think of it?"

He hadn't left the watchpoint in many months, except to go on missions. That struck you as contradictory to what you know about his past. If he had a need to wander, you would be sad, but you wouldn't hold him back. 

"You are here," he replied.

"Yeah, but aren't there people who could use your help?"

"I...ummm." Zenyatta's voice vibrated with uncertainty. "You need me. And I worry."

He forced his usual confidence into his voice like a shield against a potential negative reaction. It was cute. Your eyes crinkled into a smile, and butterflies fluttered in your stomach. The unflappable Tekhartha Zenyatta worried over little ol' you. Your hand reached towards his, and the two of you linked fingers over Genji's resting form.


	13. I Have Something to Tell You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> couldn't think of a good title. lol. Reader comes out to Genji and Zenyatta as asexual.

Today was the day that you were going to tell Genji the truth. It was strange that he didn't bring up the subject before now. It wasn't as strange to you that Zenyatta never brought it up. You assumed for obvious reasons that it wasn't important to him. That partially helped, but mostly it let you stew over it for a longer period of time, making it more difficult to broach the subject. You really should have brought this up sooner. Now you were going to appear to be a coward.

You messaged Genji and asked him to come to your room. Today you were to own up to being asexual. He came promptly, which distressed you more than you appreciated, but you shouldn't put this off any longer.

He entered, greeted you with a hug, and started wandering the room, looking at your personal things. Specifically, the pictures of your family. Maybe he was recalling the reunion. You sat on your bed and watched him, trying not to curl up into an anxious, defensive ball.

"Genji?"

"Yes?" he replied immediately, "Why do you sound terrified?" he laughed.

"Ummm, I have something to tell you."

"Okay," Genji said, more serious.

He sat next to you on the bed. That was supposed to convey to you that he was ready to listen. It made you tense up. You considered yourself broken, because you couldn't fulfill a basic need in a relationship.

"Are you alright?"

You weren't. But you had to tell him. In case he wanted out of this relationship. You owed him that after he was so good to you. You couldn't look at him. The floor was better to look at; it didn't have eyes and wasn't capable of passing judgement. You wished you were blind, though. And deaf. And...maybe nonexistent. That would be easier than doing this.

"Genji, I'm...I'm asexual."

"Oh!"

Genji sounded surprised.

"That explains," he said.

"Explains what?"

You looked at him, your curiosity winning over your tense nerves.

"When you didn't initiate sex, I thought you weren't attracted to me."

You placed your hand on his thigh.

"No! You are a beautiful man," you said earnestly.

"Stooop," he playfully begged, gently squeezing your hand, "I am so red under here." 

You reached out your arms towards Genji, and the two of you met in the space between you for a hug. When you parted, you had to ask.

"So you're okay with this?" you frowned at him.

"My home is with a bunch of omnic monks on top of a mountain. Do you think sex is something I need to live?"

"Good point."

Genji leaned back in to lay the forehead of his helm against the side of your head, causing warmth to bubble up inside you.

"I love you," he said.

"You, too."

"You know. I never understood the Japanese way of never saying that out loud. It was easy for me to drop that habit when I left."

Your heart was buoyant, with the weight of admitting the truth having lifted. You also felt your relationship with Genji was more complete, now that you knew nothing was missing in the first place. You wrapped your arm around his waist and settled your hand in the dip it made.

"That makes me happy."

Now that the hard part was over, you had the easier task of telling Zenyatta. It went more smoothly than even you expected. He accepted the information gracefully.

"And you're not mad that I took so long to tell you this important thing?"

"I assumed you would share your thoughts on the matter when you were ready," he stated evenly.

"Well, shit," you replied, slapping your hand to your cheek, "I made a big deal out of nothing."

You stared at each blankly, now that your task was over (at least, you assumed he mirrored your expression). You gently nudged your way into his lap, murmuring about having a long day. Zenyatta let you, resting a hand on your back.


End file.
